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Pierce shook his head. ‘I can assure you Henry is not in the house.’
‘Do you call him that?’ She swam over to his side, treading water when she reached him. ‘It doesn’t seem respectful somehow. He’s a very powerful man, isn’t he?’ She wrinkled her nose at one man having as much power as Henry Sutherland was reputed to have.
‘Very,’ Pierce agreed grimly.
‘Where do you fit into the scheme of things?’ she asked interestedly. ‘Your cousin does the accounts,’ she explained at his questioning look. ‘I wondered what you did for the Sutherland empire.’
‘A bit of this, a bit of that.’ Pierce shrugged dismissively. ‘It’s a big organisation.’
She nodded, looking appreciatively at the blue-bottomed pool, liking the privacy the fenced-in area offered—except from the house itself! ‘How many lengths have you done?’
‘Ten.’ He shook the water from his hair. ‘Feel up to doing the other twenty?’
‘I can try.’ She nodded. ‘Although don’t make it a race; I’m completely out of practice. They closed the pool down in Bedmont, you know,’ she told him as they struck out in leisurely strokes.
Pierce moved smoothly through the water, obviously pacing himself to her slower movements. ‘Feel free to use this one any time you want.’
‘Won’t your uncle mind the intrusion?’ ‘Henry can be a very generous person,’ he told her drily.
‘I suppose it’s nice for him, having his two nephews working for him,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘He doesn’t have any children of his own, does he?’
‘No.’
‘I heard his wife died.’
‘A long time ago,’ Pierce confirmed abruptly.
‘How sad. And he never married again?’
‘No.’
‘It seems a pity, I’m sure he must have a lot to give a relationship.’
Pierce’s mouth twisted. ‘He is very rich.’
‘I didn’t mean in that way.’ She gave him a stern look for his cynicism. ‘With all that wealth he must also be a very travelled man. Very interesting, I should think.’
‘To my knowledge no woman has ever wanted him for his mind,’ Pierce drawled drily.
Amusement flickered in warm brown eyes. ‘Now that is disrespectful,’ she teased.
‘But true,’ he rasped, striking out in stronger movements. ‘Let’s speed this up or we’ll be here all night!’
She managed fifteen lengths before hauling herself out and collapsing on the cool marble surround to the pool. By the time she had recovered her breath enough to sit up Pierce was on his final length. He glided easily through the water, obviously not tiring at all, his strokes still strong and smooth, a grim look of satisfaction to his face as he levered out on to the side, picking up a towel to drape it around his neck.
‘I’ve been thinking …’
‘Well, it worked for one of us, didn’t it.’ She grinned.
His brows rose. ‘You have no solution to your problem?’
‘Not yet, but I’ll find one,’ she dismissed confidently. ‘You were thinking …?’
‘When you go on this late night jog of yours,’ he dropped down on to the marble beside her, ‘why don’t alarms go off and the lights come on?’
‘It’s quite a security system, isn’t it,’ she acknowledged. ‘What does your uncle have in the house that he needs to protect?’
Pierce’s mouth twisted. ‘That most elusive possession, privacy.’
Danny grimaced. ‘And an expensive one, too, if the guards and security system are anything to go by.’
‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he prompted hardly.
‘About the bells and lights?’ She shrugged. ‘Dave Benson switches them off while I take my run.’
‘He what?’
Danny frowned at his harsh anger. ‘Don’t panic,’ she teased. ‘There’s still the visual surveillance, and the actual guards. Besides, it isn’t for very long, and—–’
‘Long enough,’ Pierce ground out fiercely, his eyes icy grey. ‘I can’t believe this.’ He shook his head. ‘Are you really telling me that Benson switches off a million pounds worth of highly technical equipment so that you can jog five miles a night?’
‘A million pounds?’ Danny gasped at the figure. ‘Is that really how much it cost? I know he’s a rich man, but—–’
‘Does he?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about, it’s only for a few minutes—–’
‘Long enough for someone to get in to the grounds and up to the house,’ Pierce snapped, anger etched deeply into his face.
She shook her head. ‘Not with the dogs loose.’
‘Ferdinand and Kilpatrick are with you, remember,’ he bit out tersely.
Danny gave an impatient sigh. ‘In that case there are still the men patrolling the house and immediate grounds.’
‘After learning of the shambles you’ve made of the rest of the security system I wouldn’t be surprised to know that they’re watching you, too! God,’ he exploded into a sitting position. ‘This is incredible!’
She chewed on her bottom lip as she realised how seriously upset he was. ‘Are you going to tell your uncle?’ She grimaced.
His head snapped round, his breathing uneven. ‘You can be sure he needs to be told what’s going on in his own house!’ he told her hardily.
‘What will he do?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t advise any more late night trips into the grounds,’ he warned grimly.
‘Dave Benson isn’t going to get into trouble, is he?’ she asked pleadingly, wishing she had just kept her mouth shut. But it had been something she had never been able to do. Besides, she hadn’t realised it would cause this fuss.
‘Mr Benson is going to get exactly what he deserves!’
His steely tone made her cringe. Pierce Sutherland was obviously a man without mercy, which led her to wonder if he wasn’t his uncle’s hatchet-man; he gave the impression of having to make harsh decisions and seeing that they were carried out.
‘Pierce, I—–’
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ he rasped, looking down at her coldly.
Sherry-coloured eyes widened in bewilderment. ‘Sorry?’
He looked down pointedly at the hand she had placed on his chest as she made her plea.
Danny looked down at the hand too, the skin almost the same colour as his own mahogany, hours spent working in the grounds meaning it wasn’t a pretty or delicate hand, the nails were kept short and square, the long fingers were capable rather than refined, several callouses on her palm. No, it wasn’t a pretty hand, but it didn’t deserve the dissecting regard Pierce was giving it, either.
‘Why are you touching me?’ he asked slowly.
She breathed softly as she realised the reason for his terse query. ‘I talk with my hands,’ she dismissed. ‘My father says that if my hands were tied behind my back I’d be silent.’
‘I doubt that,’ Pierce drawled derisively.
‘It’s true. I—–’ The light explanation was cut off as firmly moulded lips descended almost roughly on to her own.
Surprise was quickly followed by pleasure, and with a low groan of surrender she curved her body in to his, her arms going up about his neck, opening her lips as the rigidity of his tongue probed against them.
Her mouth widened even more as she gasped at the coolness of the marble against her back as she was lowered to the ground, the hardness of Pierce’s chest crushing her breasts in a most erotic way, the peaks erect through her bikini top.
‘Danny—– What is your name?’ Pierce demanded against the curve of her breast.
She mumbled her reply, surprised she could remember her name, feeling dizzy at the expertise of this man’s kisses. God, he …
‘I’m sorry, Mr Sutherland, I had no idea—–!
My God, Danny!’ Don Bridgeman, Head of Security for the Sutherland estate, gasped as he stood several feet away from them, his dark-suited figure strangely out of place.
‘What is it?’ Pierce sat up, effectively shielding Danny as she straightened her bikini.
‘We have a security alert on the west wall—–’
‘I’m surprised you were aware of it,’ Pierce snapped with icy reproval as he stood up.
‘Sir …?’ Don Bridgeman looked puzzled.
‘Never mind,’ Pierce dismissed. ‘I’ll talk to you about that later. Wait for me outside.’
Danny watched the exchange with a puzzled frown, feeling sorry for the older man, knowing his rebuke had all been her fault. But how was she supposed to know her casually given admission would cause this much trouble; the alarm was only off for a matter of minutes, for goodness’ sake!
‘I’m sorry about this.’ Pierce put out a hand to pull her to her feet, instantly releasing her as she straightened. ‘I had no idea we would be interrupted.’
She dismissed the apology with an impatient shrug. ‘What are you going to do about Dave Benson?’
His head went back haughtily. ‘I don’t believe that is any of your business.’
‘But—–’
‘If you’ll excuse me, I have to go and check on this break in security,’ he cut in pointedly.
Danny would have liked to have said more, but she could see by the implacability of his rigidly clenched jaw that Pierce wasn’t in the mood to listen. With a shrug she collected up her robe and left, the mischievous leaps and bounds of Ferdinand and Kilpatrick as they accompanied her back to the cottage not soothing her at all. Pierce seemed to be a powerful and respected man—and she was more deeply attracted to him than any man she had ever met.
CHAPTER TWO
‘ANY more lemon meringue pie?’
Danny stood up with a smile, going to the dish that stood on top of the cooker.
‘You make the best lemon meringue pie I’ve ever tasted.’ Gary watched her movements.
It had been a successful meal, plain English cooking, soup, roast beef with all the trimmings, and Gary’s favourite dessert, lemon meringue pie, but she knew that was the sort of food he preferred, not a man to go in for exotic food. Thank goodness, because she couldn’t cook exotic food!
She had finally come up with this idea midweek, inviting Gary over for a meal, knowing he would mention it to Cheryl the next time he saw her, and knowing that her sister would instantly be suspicious; her lack of cooking ability had become a family joke over the years, and it was something she avoided at all costs. Close as the sisters were, Cheryl would not appreciate Danny inviting Gary here when she herself wasn’t present.
Gary was her own age, the two of them in the same class at school, in fact it had been because of their casual friendship that Cheryl and Gary had met and fallen in love. Cheryl would not be pleased to know Gary had spent the evening with Danny.
The idea had come to her as she spent the afternoon in the seclusion of the vegetable garden, trying desperately to think of some way to bring Cheryl to her senses, her sister having telephoned her again the previous evening before going out to a party with Nigel Patrick. It had suddenly seemed imperative that she do something to stop the relationship, sure that Cheryl would regret it if Gary should find out about the other man. She had decided that a little healthy jealousy on Cheryl’s part might not be a bad thing.
Not that Gary saw any romantic interest in her invitation! It would have been insulting if she weren’t used to it. Gary never saw any other woman but Cheryl, and so looked on Danny as a sister; he already had two, one more made no difference! He accepted the invitation to dinner because she was Cheryl’s sister, had talked of nothing but Cheryl since he arrived. Tall and firmly muscled, his only other real interest besides Cheryl was food, he ate the meal she had prepared in appreciative silence.
‘Will Cheryl be coming home this weekend?’ she asked as she gave him his third helping of pie. Her sister had been very non-committal about her plans when they spoke two days ago.
‘No.’ He ate his pie with relish.
She frowned. ‘But I thought it was her turn to come home this weekend?’
‘It is.’ He nodded, his dark hair kept short, his deep blue eyes warm and open, very good-looking in a youthful way. ‘But she needs to study,’ he dismissed. ‘She has her exams soon.’
Danny held back her impatience with effort; the only thing Cheryl would be studying this weekend was Nigel Patrick, she was sure of it. God, her sister was a fool! Not that Nigel Patrick wasn’t charming, he was, very, but he was only interested in having a good time, couldn’t possibly have any lasting interest in a young girl destined to become an English teacher. Sometimes her sister could be so stupid!
‘Coffee?’ she asked Gary absently, receiving a frowning look as she almost removed his bowl before all the pie had been eaten.
‘Thanks.’ He sat back, obviously replete. ‘Shall I help you clear away here?’
She almost laughed at his lack of enthusiasm for the idea, ushering him into the lounge while she made the coffee. Gary was a typical male, he didn’t mind eating the meal, but clearing away the debris was something else entirely. Not that she minded in this case, Gary was something of a menace in the kitchen, usually managing to break at least one thing.
She checked on him while she was waiting for the coffee to percolate, finding him engrossed in the boxing match on the television. No wonder Cheryl found Nigel Patrick more exciting!
She had the coffee ready on a tray when the knock sounded on the back door, and went to answer it. She hadn’t seen Pierce Sutherland over the last three days, and she couldn’t pretend she wasn’t surprised to see him now. For one thing, he looked completely different in the iron-grey pin-striped suit and pale grey shirt, his hair trimmed to a neater style, too. For another thing she just hadn’t expected to see him again, their parting the other evening certainly hadn’t led her to believe they would.
‘I know it’s late,’ he began in that husky voice.
‘It’s only ten-thirty,’ she mocked.
His mouth twisted. ‘I forgot, you’re a night-owl. Solved your problem?’
She thought of Gary sitting comfortably replete in the other room. ‘Working on it.’ She nodded. ‘Was everything all right the other night?’
‘The security alert?’ He nodded. ‘Just a malfunction in the system.’
‘Would you like to come in?’ She belatedly remembered her manners. ‘I’ve just made some coffee.’
‘I’ll come in,’ he accepted. ‘But I never drink coffee.’
‘Caffeine.’ She nodded, closing the door behind him.
‘No,’ he derided. ‘I just don’t like it.’
‘Oh,’ she smiled. ‘Tea, then?’
‘Nothing, thanks,’ he refused abruptly, his height making her cosy kitchen look even smaller.
‘Then what can I do for you?’ She looked up at him curiously.
‘I—–’
‘Hey, Danny, I— Oh,’ Gary came to a confused halt in the doorway, meeting the other man’s narrow-eyed gaze with curiosity. ‘I didn’t realise you had company.’ He turned enquiringly to Danny.
‘That makes two of us,’ Pierce Sutherland put in icily. ‘It would seem I’ve called at an inopportune time,’ he added harshly.
‘Not at all,’ she dismissed easily. ‘Gary and I have finished our meal, and …’
‘Gary?’ Pierce echoed slowly.
Danny nodded. ‘You remember, I told you about my sister’s fiancé.’
‘I remember,’ he rasped grimly. ‘Your method of solving the problem is—unique, Danielle.’
The foreign inflection he gave to her full name was very pleasant, but she couldn’t imagine what he thought was so unique about the idea of making her sister jealous. Inspired, perhaps, but certainly not unique.
‘I’ll leave the two of you to enjoy your coffee,’ he added coldly.
‘But you didn’t tell me why you came over.’ She frowned.
‘It wasn’t important.’ He turned to the younger man. ‘Sorry to have interrupted your evening.’
‘Pierce …’ She stood in the doorway and watched as he strode off into the darkness, the barking of the dogs silenced by a single word from him tonight. He was a strange man, a very strange man. Almost as strange as his uncle was reputed to be.
‘Who was that?’ Gary was naturally mystified by her visitor.
She closed the door with a sigh. She hadn’t expected to see Pierce Sutherland again, knowing that the kiss they had shared hadn’t meant the same to him as it had to her. But now that she had seen him again she hated the fact that he had left without telling her why he had come here in the first place.
‘He works for Henry Sutherland.’ She was reluctant to mention either of the nephews to Gary, knew he could be very astute when he chose to be.
‘Are you and he—friends?’ Gary probed.
‘No,’ she answered truthfully, doubting Pierce Sutherland had many friends, male or female.
‘He didn’t seem too pleased about seeing me here.’ Gary frowned.
‘You’re imagining things,’ she dismissed briskly. ‘Now, how about that coffee?’
‘That’s what I came in to tell you,’ he said ruefully. ‘Don’t bother about coffee for me, I’d better be going; I have an early shift tomorrow.’
The coffee was already made, but she didn’t try to dissuade him. Gary was a very nice man, but she had done what she set out to do, and now she didn’t mind being left on her own.
She walked down to the gate that divided her garden from the main one after Gary had left, looking over at the main house. The lights around the pool were on, and she could imagine that sleek body moving through the cool water, wishing she could join him. But things had changed in the last three days, no longer was she allowed to enter the grounds at night, the alarms left on now by strict instructions of Henry Sutherland. And poor Dave Benson was under sentence of serious reprimand when Henry Sutherland got back from his latest business trip. She had tried to get in to see the elusive billionaire before he left, intending to plead on Dave’s behalf, but she had been firmly told that Mr Sutherland wasn’t seeing anyone.
She couldn’t blame Pierce for advising his uncle to take some form of action over the incident, but she didn’t feel Dave Benson should be made to take all the blame.
She had heard the helicopter return earlier this evening, and Pierce’s presence indicated that his uncle was back in residence, but the lateness of the hour meant she would have to wait until tomorrow before seeing Henry Sutherland. She wished she knew why Pierce had come over …
‘What are you up to?’ Cheryl demanded suspiciously.
The expected telephone call from her sister came early the next evening, Cheryl sounding most indignant. ‘Sorry?’ She pretended ignorance, holding back her humour.
‘Gary said he came to dinner last night,’ Cheryl accused.
‘He did,’ she acknowledged. ‘He looks as if he’s losing weight to me,’ she added lightly. ‘I thought a home-cooked meal would be nice.’
‘Not one of your home cooked meals!’ Cheryl mocked scornfully.
‘Gary didn’t have any complaints,’ she taunted.
‘He gets a home-cooked meal every night—he lives at home with his parents!’
‘So he does,’ she smiled. ‘Then something else must be bothering him.’
‘I suppose you’re implying that it’s me,’ Cheryl said in a disgruntled voice.
‘You?’ She feigned surprise. ‘Why should Gary be worried about you?’
‘Because of Nigel!’
‘Oh, but he doesn’t know about him,’ Danny dismissed. ‘And even if he did, he may not be too worried. You’ve been away a long time, Cheryl,’ she reasoned. ‘Men tend to find themselves other—compensations for an absent fiancée.’
‘What are you implying now?’ her sister demanded waspishly. ‘That Gary has someone else?’
‘Why not? You do.’
‘That’s different—–’
‘I don’t see how,’ she mocked. ‘Gary is very handsome, he has a steady job, a lot of women would be glad to snap him up.’
‘He’s engaged to me!’
‘Engagements don’t seem to mean the same as they used to,’ she derided.
‘Do you know something I don’t?’ Cheryl asked sharply. ‘Has Gary been seeing someone else?’
‘Would it really bother you that much if he were?’
‘Of course it would!’
‘Why? I thought you were thinking of finishing with him anyway,’ Danny reasoned.
‘I am, but … Who is it, Danny?’ she demanded to know. ‘Who is Gary seeing?’
‘No one, as far as I know,’ Danny answered evasively.
‘But you said—–’ Cheryl broke off, the workings of her mind almost audible over the telephone. ‘How late did he stay last night?’ she finally asked guardedly.
‘Quite late,’ Danny prevaricated. ‘He can be a very interesting conversationalist.’
‘Are you going to invite him over again?’
‘I was thinking of asking him tomorrow,’ she invented, having hoped the once would be enough to irk her sister.
‘You can’t,’ Cheryl told her with obvious relief. ‘He’s coming up to London for the weekend.’
‘But I thought he was working.’ She was genuinely surprised.
‘He’s managed to change weekends with someone else,’ her sister said triumphantly.
‘What about Nigel?’
Cheryl sighed. ‘He’s had to go away unexpectedly,’ she grumbled. ‘To Germany this time.’
She had known Henry Sutherland was once more away, her efforts to see him earlier today once again met with refusal, but she hadn’t thought of Nigel going with him. This wasn’t the ideal way she would have wanted Cheryl to be with Gary, but at least they would be together; it was better than nothing. And she knew it had given her sister a jolt to know she had had Gary over for dinner. She could only do so much to keep them together, the rest was up to them.
‘I don’t—I’ll have to go,’ she said quickly as a loud knock sounded on the door. ‘Someone is at the door.’
‘About Gary …’
‘He’s your problem,’ she dismissed impatiently, wondering if her visitor could be Pierce; she hoped so. ‘But if he didn’t refuse dinner with me I doubt he would turn down any other invitations he receives either. It’s lonely for him here, Cheryl, I hope you realise that.’
‘It’s lonely for me too.’
‘But you’ve found someone else to ease your loneliness,’ she reminded. ‘So why shouldn’t Gary do the same?’
‘He wouldn’t.’
‘I hope you’re right.’ Danny sighed at her sister’s confidence, sadly afraid Cheryl could be right. ‘Have a nice weekend, Cheryl, but try to remember that you will have to make a decision between Gary and Nigel soon. I’ll call you Monday or Tuesday.’ She rang off quickly before her visitor decided she wasn’t at home and went away again, her face glowing with pleasure when she opened the door to find Pierce standing there. ‘I hoped you would come back tonight.’ She pulled him inside. ‘You left so suddenly last night.’ She beamed up at him.
He seemed slightly dazed by the warmth of his welcome. ‘You had company.’ He shrugged.
‘Only Gary,’ Danny dismissed lightly. ‘You don’t travel with your uncle?’
He frowned, the grey-blue eyes suddenly wary. ‘Sorry?’
‘I was talking to Cheryl on the telephone when you knocked,’ she explained, liking the way the black trousers fitted the lean length of his legs, the grey shirt obviously silk. She felt a bit untidy in her green shorts and lime-green T-shirt, having intended to shower and change after her salad dinner; Cheryl’s call had delayed that. ‘She was bemoaning the fact that Nigel has gone away to Germany with your uncle.’
‘Did he actually tell her that?’ Pierce asked slowly.
‘Oh God.’ She grimaced. ‘I haven’t found another security malfunction?’
Pierce gave a half smile, at once looking less severe and remote. ‘Not that I’m aware,’ he drawled. ‘But Henry Sutherland certainly isn’t going to be anywhere near Germany this weekend.’
Danny gave him a startled look. ‘Are you sure?’
‘He arrived home late this afternoon, and as far as I know he intends staying here for several days.’
She chewed on her bottom lip. ‘Then I wonder why Nigel told Cheryl that?’ She frowned. ‘Let’s go through to the lounge and make ourselves comfortable,’ she suggested absently, moving with her usual grace, sitting cross-legged on the sofa. ‘Please, sit down,’ she invited as Pierce hesitated in the low doorway, the beams on the ceiling almost touching his head as he crossed the room. ‘Mind!’ she warned as he almost walked into the light hanging from the middle of the ceiling.